🇭🇺 Hungary

April to June and September to October are the most pleasant months: warm enough for riverside walks and outdoor terraces, without the full heat of midsummer. Budapest is busiest in July and August, when Lake Balaton also fills with Hungarian families on holiday and the big summer festivals take place.

Winter is cold but atmospheric. The capital's thermal baths come into their own, steam rising off the outdoor pools, and Christmas markets run through December. The autumn grape harvest is a fine time to visit the wine regions, from Tokaj in the north-east to the southern hills around Villány.

Hungary has a continental climate: warm to hot summers, cold winters and comparatively modest rainfall. Summer heatwaves are common on the Great Plain and in Budapest, while winter can bring frost, fog and occasional snow.

Spring and autumn are short but pleasant transitional seasons. Lake Balaton has a slightly milder microclimate, and the northern hills are a little cooler than the lowlands.

Hungary is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel with a valid passport or national ID card. Many other nationalities, including UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area; others need a Schengen visa from a Hungarian embassy or consulate. The US State Department advises that passports be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay.

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational at Schengen external borders since 10 April 2026, registering non-EU short-stay visitors with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps. ETIAS, the planned travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not yet in force; the EU has said it will start in the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date still to be announced. Hungary borders non-Schengen countries such as Serbia and Ukraine, so expect full border checks on those crossings.

Confirm the current rules for your nationality with the official source before booking. Checked October 2026.

Budapest's Liszt Ferenc International Airport is the main gateway. The dedicated 100E airport express bus runs to Deák Ferenc tér in the centre in about 40 minutes and needs its own ticket, costing 2,500 HUF, which can be paid by bank card on board; ordinary Budapest passes are not valid on it (fare checked October 2026). A cheaper alternative is the 200E bus to the M3 metro line.

National rail operator MÁV links Budapest with the main regional cities and with Vienna, so Hungary combines easily with Austria or the Czech Republic. Within Budapest, metro, trams, buses and suburban trains are run as one network by BKK; 24-hour and 72-hour passes are available. Drivers need an electronic motorway vignette (e-matrica) to use motorways.

Hungary is generally cheaper than western Europe, though Budapest prices have risen and the most touristy streets and cafés can feel close to western levels. Mid-range hotels and apartments are often good value, especially outside summer weekends and major events.

Eating at a traditional étkezde (canteen-style lunch spot) or choosing a weekday lunch menu keeps costs down, and public transport passes are economical if you plan to ride a lot. The forint is the currency: euros are sometimes accepted in tourist places, usually at an unfavourable rate. Use bank ATMs, and when paying by card choose to be charged in forints rather than accepting conversion into your home currency.

Hungarians tend to be reserved at first and warm once introduced. A greeting on entering a shop is polite, and among friends a toast comes with eye contact; you will often hear Egészségedre! Some Hungarians still avoid clinking beer glasses, a habit linked in popular memory to the defeat of 1848, so follow your hosts' lead.

In restaurants, check whether a service charge has already been added to the bill; if it has, no further tip is needed, and if not, around a tenth is customary for good service. At the thermal baths, swimming caps are required in some pools, and flip-flops and a towel are useful. Hungarian names are written family name first, as in Liszt Ferenc.

Hungarian cooking is generous and paprika-scented. Gulyás is a soup rather than a stew here, served alongside pörkölt (the thicker stew most foreigners call goulash), paprikás csirke (chicken in paprika and sour-cream sauce) and halászlé, a fiery fisherman's soup. Lángos, deep-fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese, is classic market food, and lecsó, a pepper and tomato stew, is a summer staple.

Pastry is a national strength: try rétes (strudel), dobos torta and the spiral kürtőskalács (chimney cake). Wine is excellent, from sweet Tokaji to the reds of Eger and Villány, and pálinka fruit brandy is offered as a welcome. In Budapest, the Great Market Hall and neighbourhood étkezdék are the best places to start.

Hungary is generally safe for travellers. The main issues are pickpocketing in crowded places and on busy trains, and overcharging by some taxis, bars and restaurants. Use licensed metered taxis or ride-hailing apps, check prices before ordering, and accept drinks only from staff.

Carry your passport with you: police may ask for identification, and the US State Department notes that other documents may not be accepted. Avoid demonstrations. The general emergency number is 112; police 107, ambulance 104, fire 105. Read your own government's travel advice before departure.